


The Bar

by PQFan



Category: Homeland
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 17:17:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PQFan/pseuds/PQFan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story sort of takes place after S3 but does not follow the story lines. We find Carrie trying to relax at a bar after work. She is surprised by what she sees and feels while she is there, but it starts her down a path that has been in front of her longer than she realizes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It's been a long day. Carrie leaves her office late, around 11p and decides rather than go home to her dark, quiet house; she'll stop at the bar for a drink. She needs to clear her head, relax. Then maybe things will come into better focus. She walks in to the bar and slides onto an open bar stool, hoping not to be bothered by anyone. She's not quite as good as Quinn at being unnoticed in a room.

Carrie orders her tequila and after taking a sip, she stares into her glass, then glances up at the mirrored wall behind the bar. She scans the scene unfolding behind her - the young professionals laughing and touching each other flirtatiously. She was never good at that scene – always hated it, in fact. Then she notices a familiar figure across the room. It's Quinn. She smiles inwardly, happy to see him. He's laughing, and there is a woman, no – two women, next to him. One in a low cut blouse keeps touching his arm and leaning in towards him, throwing her head back and laughing. The other in a clingy tank top seems to be silently cozying up to Quinn, touching his chest.  _Is she actually putting her hand under his shirt? What the hell?_   _Since when did Quinn get a little following?_  Carrie continues to watch. Quinn towers over these women, and his strong, muscular build makes them look even smaller. Carrie watches Quinn's face respond to the women, his eyes crinkling when he smiles, his jaw clenching as he listens to whatever pathetic story they're telling him. At first Carrie is shocked, then amused. But after a few minutes, she's feeling…annoyed. He looks a little too happy getting all this attention. Is she jealous? Carrie stares down back at her drink, takes a large sip. She didn't realize Quinn had admirers. She didn't even think of Quinn as someone to admire. Sure, there was the ER nurse, but now Carrie wonders who else he's been with?

Carrie looks back up at the mirror again and continues to watch Quinn and the women.  _This is ridiculous – these women are losers. T_ _here probably isn't a single brain cell to share between the two of them. They're like vultures, eating him alive…and he's loving it. What the fuck, Quinn?_   She wasn't used to seeing Quinn give his attention to anyone other than her and the CIA. She didn't like it and takes another big sip of her drink. Suddenly there is a hand on the small of her back and a familiar voice.

"Carrie? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were at work."

Carrie looks up and is surprised at the relief and joy she feels seeing Quinn standing there next to her.

"Hey! What are you doing here? I didn't see you," she lies.

"Uh, just grabbing a drink…I didn't realize you came here."

Carrie is now annoyed even more. She doesn't want his pity. She doesn't need this scene.

"I don't…come here. I just needed a drink. I'm leaving," Carrie says as she finishes off her drink and motions to get up. Quinn senses her anger. He's seen this look and heard this tone coming from Carrie before.

"Are you upset about something?" he asks.

"No Quinn, I'm just leaving. Have fun with your…friends." Carrie grabs her bag and heads towards the door. Quinn puts his beer down on the bar and quickly follows. Carrie's just outside when Quinn grabs her arm.

"Carrie, wait." She is surprised at how strong his grip is on her, but she is glad he followed her. "What's going on? Why are you upset? Did something happen at work?"

"No, Quinn. Nothing happened at work. I'm fine."

"Then why are you storming out of here with smoke coming out of your ears?" Carrie can't respond. She can't tell him why because she can't understand it herself - it's ridiculous. But sitting there at the bar, watching these woman fan all over him made her feel something she hadn't expected. She wanted to be the one touching his arm, feeling his skin under his shirt. She wanted Quinn's attention. But when the hell did this happen? When did she start caring about who Quinn spent his time with?

"You know what, Quinn, just go back inside and enjoy yourself. I didn't mean to interrupt your evening. I'm sure your friends are wondering where you are."

"Those aren't my friends, Carrie," he says gently. "I don't know those girls. I just came here to relax and blow off some steam." There is a long, quiet pause between them as Carrie and Quinn stare at each other. She's feeling relief again. How does Quinn do this? How do his actions with her, or lack thereof, cause her to feel so much?

"So…is one of them the ER nurse?" Carrie asks in a smaller voice than she intended.  _Ugh, so stupid, now I sound like a jealous girlfriend._

"ER nurse? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Sorry. Look, I'm going to go."

"Carrie, are you…jealous of those women I am with?"

"Jealous? Of those floozies? Ha!"

"I don't know…I thought they were very intelligent young ladies…" Quinn jokes.

They smile at each other and look for a sign that things are okay between them.

"Come on, let me drive you home," Quinn offers.

"I don't think you're in a position to drive me anywhere, Quinn. You've been here twice as long as me. Give me your keys, I'll take you home. You do have a home, don't you? Or are you still living like a nomad?"

Carrie is smiling, and Quinn feels his own sense of relief. She's okay. If only he could tell her that he would do anything for her to be the woman cozying up next to him, touching and wanting him. That he fantasizes about Carrie when he is with another woman. Touching Carrie's hair, kissing Carrie's lips, unbuttoning Carrie's blouse.


	2. Still alone

The car ride from the bar to Quinn's place is quick and quiet. Now that he is sitting down, the effects of the alcohol seem to be amplified and he's suddenly feeling tired. As he directs Carrie where to go he becomes aware of his words not being as crisp as they should be. Carrie tries to focus the conversation on work but in the back of Quinn's head he is thinking about Carrie's odd behavior. Something was different about Carrie tonight. She has never given Quinn any indication that she thought twice about him. Carrie has always put work and Brody first. But tonight, she was clearly thinking about him. The idea made Quinn smile.

Carrie's car pulled up in front of the small row home near McLean. If it weren't for the peeling paint and overgrown shrubs, it would actually be a pretty nice place. But it looked incredibly dark and lonely.

"Thanks." Quinn offered and he reluctantly felt for the door handle.

"Sure. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow," said Carrie.

Quinn paused and looked down at the floor. He didn't want to lose this moment of hope but knew it was too soon to address Carrie about what was going on between them.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah – I'm good, just tired. Listen, if you need a ride to get your car at the bar, let me know. I can swing by in the morning."

Quinn smiles at her, then gets out of the car and heads towards his house. He fumbles for his keys before unlocking the front door. Carrie watches him from her car and feels a pang of sadness. _I want to go with him._ She waits until he is inside and the lights are on before leaving. She turns on her radio to the local jazz station to try to distract herself from all the thoughts racing through her head.


	3. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day at work.

By 6:00p the next day, Quinn is feeling irritated at the lack of information his field agents have yielded. They're useless and the team is getting nowhere fast with their latest assignment. He had just finished screaming over the phone at Fara when Carrie walks into the room.

"About fucking time."

"What crawled up your ass?" Carrie barks at him.

Taking a breath to calm himself Quinn responded, "we've been here since 6:00a this morning, combing through this crap information and have nothing. You want to tell me how these sources are helping us?"

Carrie sighs heavily, places both hands on her hips and looks at the documents and photos papering the wall. Quinn walks over and stands next to her. He's a good eight inches taller than Carrie. They stare at the wall in silence.

"Get much sleep last night?" he asks her.

"Not really. You?"

"Nah, sleep's over-rated."

They stand in silence.

"Come on. Let's shut this down for the night. I think we both need to clear our heads of this for a few hours if we're going to make any progress," Quinn suggests.

Carrie turns to him with a look of surprise and confusion on her face, then cautiously agrees.

"Yeah, sure. Drinks?" Carrie suggests.

"I was thinking dinner. We could grab a sandwich, walk along the river. It's supposed to be a nice night and the fresh air will do us good."

Carrie is surprised at what a good idea this is. It sounds like just what she needs. "Yeah. That sounds great."

Quinn orders his staff to shut down for the night and begins packing up his desk, while Carrie heads towards the restroom.

"Meet you in the lobby," she hollers.

Once inside, Carrie splashes some water on her face and pauses to look at herself in the mirror. She looks like shit. In fact she couldn't even remember the last time she had made any effort to look "nice." She rummages through her bag looking for a lipstick but only finds an old Chapstick. After running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make it looks better, she applies the Chapstick, and pinches her cheeks to give herself some color, then groans and shrugs. _Useless_ , she thinks. _What difference does it make anyway._

Quinn is waiting for her in the lobby, talking on his phone. He glances up as she exits the elevator. When she sees him, the corners of her mouth turn up slightly and soften her usual stern face. He loves seeing her smile.

"Okay, so you say there is a river near here?" she asks in jest.


	4. River walk

Quinn pays for the food, hands Carrie her To Go bag, and the two stroll towards the riverfront.

"This was a really good idea, Quinn. I can't tell you the last time I walked along the river. I'm always running on the bike path and never taking the time to enjoy the view."

"You and me both."

"You run?!" Carrie asks, with a tone of disbelief.

"Is that so hard to believe?!"

"Huh. I didn't take you for a runner."

"I'll assume there's a compliment in there. When do you run?"

"At night. It's my way of clearing my head after work."

"That or tequila?" he asks.

"Yes," Carrie laughs. "Or that."

They stop at a picnic table that overlooks the river and take a seat directly facing each other. Quinn's back is to the river while Carrie faces him. She takes a deep breath in and stares out at the water, taking in the DC skyline. Quinn stops eating and though he tries not to stare at her, finds that he can't help but watch her. She looks peaceful.

"This is a good look for you," he offers.

"What?" she asks defensively.

"Being outside, in the fresh air, with the sun on your face. You look…peaceful." _And beautiful_ , but he keeps that thought to himself.

Surprised and slightly embarrassed by Quinn's remarks, Carrie bows her head and tries to shake off his compliments.

"What? You can't tell me you don't feel good out here." Quinn challenges her.

Carrie raises her head to give a snarky response but pauses to rethink it. "No, you're right. I do feel good out here. And thank you. That was nice of you to say."

Silence fills the air as they look at each other. Carrie smiles.

"That's a good look, too. You should smile more often," he says gently, fearing another compliment might push her away. Carrie holds his stare. Quinn's words are making her feel so uncomfortable, and good, and scared – all at the same time. _What is this?_ This time, it's Quinn who drops his eyes, fearing he crossed the line. _Fuck._

Taking another deep breath, Carrie turns her head to look out over the water again. "It's been a shitty year. There hasn't been much to smile about." Quinn raises his eyes to look at her again. He wants to reach across the table to hold her hands and comfort her, but knows he can't. Not yet.

"But I'm in a better place now," she says firmly. "Things are good. You've been a big part of that, Quinn. And, I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to realize it, and to thank you. You've been really…amazing. I don't deserve you," she laughs.

This time, Quinn does reach across the table. His warm, calloused hands fold over hers and it feels more comforting that she expected. Rather than pulling away, she allows herself to be still and relax in his touch.

"I told you last year that I would be here for you, do whatever you need. I meant it…I care about you, Carrie."

Carrie, not used to anyone looking out for her, isn't sure how to respond to Quinn. He makes her feel such a mix of emotions – scared, happy, angry, frustrated…safe, comfortable. She trusts him more than anyone. He was right when he told her he was reliable. He has never failed her. And lately, she has been thinking about Quinn more and more outside of work. She started replaying past events in her head. Wondering how she could have been working alongside him all these months and not realizing how good he was to her, for her. And how much she actually cared about him.

"Peter?" calls a young voice from the bike path. "I thought that was you!" A leggy blond in running shorts and top jogs over to their table, and Peter pulls his hands from Carrie's. He looks confused, like he can't place who this woman is and why she knows him.

"Sarah Hamilton…we met a couple of weeks ago at a bar." She stops there and glances at Carrie, realizing revealing anything more about her meeting with Quinn might jeopardize their "relationship."

"Sarah, right. Nice to see you," he says coldly.

"I was wondering what happened to you. You disappeared so quickly that night." The young woman is bubbly and flirtatious.

"He does that," offered Carrie, with a smirk. Quinn looks at her and laughs to himself. Sensing she's the butt of their joke, the young woman stiffens and starts to turn from them.

"Well, take care. Nice seeing you." And she jogs away.

"That wasn't awkward or anything," jokes Carrie.

Quinn buries his head in his hands and groans, "Oh God."

"Come on," Carrie laughs, "let's get out of here. It's about time I get my own run in."

Disappointed at having their intimate conversation interrupted, Quinn hesitates to get up from the picnic table. He doesn't want the night to end. He felt like Carrie was starting to let her walls down to him. He rises, throws their garbage away in the nearby trash can, and joins Carrie on the bike path. They walk in silence towards their parked cars.


	5. Hot summer night

It's been a week since Quinn and Carrie had dinner along the river. A week since they let their guards down with each other. They have both been consumed with work, maybe as a way to avoid each other and the feelings that surfaced.

So the following Friday night, Carrie finds herself alone in her office. It looks like she'll be back in early on Saturday morning and she's actually wondering if it's even worth going home. Maybe she should just pull an all-nighter. She stands, walks to her window and glances out at the sunset and finds herself a little lost in the moment. It's a beautiful, hot summer night. _Maybe I should take a little break and go for a quick run, then shower back here at the office, that way I'd be able to get back to work faster_. Carrie is mulling over this idea when she sees a shirtless man jogging from the far end of the parking lot. _Yes, I'll go for a run_ , she thinks. She watches the runner come closer and slowly realizes that it's Quinn. His body is glistening in sweat, his face red, his chest heaving. _So he does run,_ she thinks. Quinn comes to a stop about 25 yards from Carrie's 3rd floor office window, unaware that he's being watched. He slowly walks, resting his hands on his hips. _My God_ , Carrie thinks, _he looks like Adonis._ His shoulders broad, his chest strong, his legs long and muscular. She watches in silence as Peter comes to a stop and begins stretching his limbs, first bending his right leg and pulling his foot behind him, then the same with his left leg. He closes his eyes and pulls his head to the right, stretching his neck, then to the left. Finally he reaches behind him, grasping his hands together and stretches out his pectoral muscles. Carrie exhales loudly, not realizing that she had been holding her breath this whole time. _Jesus._

Carrie pulls herself away from the window to try to gather herself _. Now I really need to go for a run_ , she thinks, and walks over to her closet to grab her gym bag. She leaves her office, walks toward the elevator, then pushes the Down button and waits. _For fuck sake_ , she thinks, _get a grip, Mathison_. She enters the elevator and hits "B" for basement where the gym and locker rooms are, and the elevator starts to descend. Carrie takes a deep breath again to try to calm her racing heart. The elevator stops at "L" for the lobby and she grows impatient. _Come on,_ she mutters. The doors open to reveal a sweat drenched Peter Quinn.

"Hello," he says with a toothy grin. "Mind sharing your ride with all this?" He is referring to his soaking, smelly self, but Carrie can only think about how unbelievable turned on she is by his glistening body and damp hair. He wipes his face and neck with the grey t-shirt he holds in his hand.

"By all means," she groans with exasperation and motions to Quinn to enter to the right while she moves to the far left side of the elevator. The doors close and the elevator starts to descend again.

"Good run?" Carrie asks while staring straight ahead. She knows if she looks at him she will be unable to breathe.

"Yeah…hot one," Peter replies. "Sorry, I know I can't smell very good."

Carrie smiles and looks down at her feet. _Just don't look at him_ , she thinks.

"Are you headed out now?" Peter asks.

"Mm-hm."

"Will you be back later?" Quinn asks.

"Uh yeah. I'm just going out for a quick run and then plan on showering and putting in a few more hours here. How about you?"

"Same. Can we connect when you get back? It would be good to go over a few things with you."

"Sure, yeah. I'll stop by your office."

**Later…**

Carrie heads out on her run, with Thelonious Monk in her ears. Good jazz and a good sweat should calm her down, but she spends the six miles envisioning a half-naked Quinn. Her pace quickens as she pictures his body glowing in the sun, his sweat drenched hair, his muscles flexed. She begins fantasizing about how he would taste and feel against her. By the time she returns to Langley, she is more turned on than ever. The run only made things worse. She hopes a shower will cool her off but the warm soapy water against her body only leads her to fantasize more. She lathers her breasts, her stomach, and between her legs and fantasizes that it's Quinn touching her. Carrie loses herself in the sensations and brings herself to orgasm, screaming Quinn's name silently in her head.

Carrie emerges from the women's locker room about 20 minutes later in her navy pants and ivory colored, sleeveless blouse, her jacket folded over her gym bag. Her hair is still damp but she took the time to apply some basic make-up. Carrie heads back up to the 3rd floor, where she sees Quinn in his office on the phone and looking over some papers. He glances up to see her approaching and pauses at the sight of her. She looks relaxed and refreshed. _Is she glowing?_

Quinn raises his hand, fingers spread to motion that he needs five minutes. Carrie nods and goes to her office and puts her bag and jacket in the closet. She lifts her damp hair off her neck and exhales loudly. _Okay, back to work. Now just focus._

Approximately five minutes later, Quinn knocks on Carrie's office door. She looks up from her desk, smiles, and stands. He's dressed in tan pants and a navy dress shirt that gapes opens revealing a hint of skin beneath. Carrie comes around to the other side of the desk where he meets her.

"Good run?" he asks.

"Yes," she sighs loudly, "but you were right - hot."

"Yeah – I needed a cold shower after that one, " he says. She smiles. _If he only knew._

They walk over to her conference table which is littered with papers.

"So we just got the latest reports. It looks like Javahdi has settled in nicely." Carrie points to a photo of Javahdi shaking hands with another official looking man.

They stand side by side at a conference table, silently looking over some items. He is distracted by the smell of her freshly washed hair and can feel the heat still radiating from her body. She is distracted by his close proximity and the fantasies she just played out in the shower. Carrie tries to concentrate. She leans over the table and stares down at a photo, her hair falling from behind her ear. Quinn turns and watches her, because he can't help it. He just cannot focus. He then turns himself around and pulls himself to a seating position on the table, now somewhat facing her. Carrie can sense herself trembling. Her heart is racing again _._ Quinn reaches out and lightly touches her wrist and glances at her with a tilted head. She looks at him. She feels scared and excited, and he can see this in her face. Quinn gently and slowly guides Carrie toward him so that she is now standing directly in front of him at the table. He parts his knees, places his hands on her hips and pulls Carrie to him so he is now straddling her. She looks into his eyes for assurance that this is real, that he is still safe, that she can trust him, and sees only love looking back at her.

"I won't ever hurt you, Carrie," he whispers.

She bites her lower lip because these are scary words to her. She knows he says this now, and she knows he means it, but it's also an impossible promise.

Quinn gently brushes some loose strands of Carrie's hair away from her face and tucks them behind her ear, then slowly pulls her towards him and kisses her. It's tender and she feels all her tension melt away. Carrie allows herself to give in to what her body is feeling and pushes herself closer to Quinn. His lips are soft, his tongue gentle, making her want more. He has dreamed of this moment for so long he can barely believe it is real, but then she lets out a soft moan and he knows it is real. He moves his lips from her mouth to her neck and Carrie's breath quickens. She drops her head back to give more of herself to Quinn. She wants so much more. His hands now move down her back and press Carrie closer to him. He raises his head to find the buttons of her blouse and with a permissive glance from Carrie, he begins to unbutton them. She starts to fumble with Quinn's shirt, as well, and soon they're both shrugging off their shirts. Quinn quickly, and effortlessly, removes Carrie's bra, drops it on the floor. His mouth finds her breast. She pushes herself towards him again. He sucks and lightly bites at her breast, releasing moans of pleasure from Carrie. She cradles Quinn's head in her hands and with her fingers in his hair, guides him to her other breast, which he envelopes with his mouth and begins to suck and pull at. He can tell he is driving her to the edge so pulls back and returns to her mouth. With his hands on Carrie's hips, Quinn lifts her up onto the table so she is now straddling him. This time, Carrie pushes him back down on the table. Her mouth finds his neck, then shoulder, then chest– leaving a trail of wet kisses across his body. He tastes clean on her tongue and he lets out a low groan before pulling her up so she hovers above him again. Now straddling him, Carrie stares down at Quinn's face and is mesmerized by his beauty, his strength, and tenderness. He has always been so good to her. Quinn smiles because for the first time, he thinks he sees her love for him.

"Carrie…" he whispers.

"Please, Peter…don't stop…" she breathlessly replies.

It was all he needed. He reaches up and with his hand on the back of her neck, pulls her down on top of him, and kisses her deeply, their tongues now tangled and breathes quickening. She can feel his hardness against her and pushes herself into him. _Oh God_ , Quinn groans in his head, and grabs her and pulls her even closer. She slides her body down him until she is standing in front of him, unbuttons her pants and slowly steps out of them, leaving them in a heap on the floor with her now discarded panties. Quinn moves toward the edge of the table and starts unbuckling his belt. Carrie takes care of the button and zipper and pulls at his pants and his boxer-briefs, pushing them down around his ankles. Quinn leans back against the table and pauses a moment to take her in. She is breathing quickly, her face flush, and she is beautiful.


	6. Finally

Carrie stands before Quinn, still trembling with excitement. She has never exposed her emotions or her psyche to anyone like this before. It's not just raw physical passion coursing through her veins and driving her forward tonight, it's an emotional ache. For months she has turned to and relied on Quinn. She has let him get closer to her mentally and emotionally than anyone and now every cell in her body and mind wants and needs him. It was a new sensation for Carrie.

Quinn now looms large in front of her. Carrie steps towards him, and with her mouth grazing his, her breasts pressing up against his hard chest, she slips one hand between his legs and grasps him. He is stiff and hot and she can feel him continue to come to life as she begins to slowly stroke him.

"Fuck, Carrie," Quinn breathes.

Her mouth moves from his lips to his jaw, then to his ear. Carrie then drops to her knees and with her tongue, traces the length of Quinn's hardness then stops at the tip to circle and suck it. He tastes wonderful and she can't help but moan herself. She slowly takes Quinn into her mouth until she can take no more, then slowly pulls him out, sucking and pulling every inch of him. She slowly repeats this motion several times until he cannot take it anymore.

"Carrie…" Quinn moans with urgency.

With both his hands, Quinn pulls Carrie up off the floor so she is once again standing in front of him. He pulls her to him and kisses her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. If he had been holding back before, he was no more. She pushes him back on to the table again and climbs on top of him. She wants him inside her now, but he's not done exploring her. Quinn lifts Carrie's slight body off him and gently lays her face up on the table. His eyes are laser focused and full of passion, and she feels a sense of excitement mixed with fear as she anticipates what's next. Quinn buries his face between her neck and clavicle. He just cannot get enough of her.

"Quinn...please…" she begs.

He moves his mouth to her breast, then her navel. Carrie spreads her legs with eagerness, and Quinn welcomes the invitation by moving a hand between her legs. Quinn gently slips a finger into her. Carrie lets out a soft cry and wriggles beneath him with an ache for more. Quinn slips another finger into her and she moans loudly with the sensation of his fingers filling her. He begins fucking her slowly this way. She arches her back off the table, pushing herself closer to him. He grabs her around her torso and pulls her closer, bringing his mouth down on a hard nipple which he eagerly begins to suck. Propping herself up with her hands now, Carrie begins to move her body in sync with Quinn's thrusting hand, so now she is fucking it. _My God_ , he thinks, and lifts his head and watches as she begins to drive herself wild.

Unable to hold himself back much longer, Quinn pulls his hand from between Carrie's legs, his fingers now glistening, and grabbing his erection, places the tip against Carrie's wetness. She thrusts her hips forward toward him and wraps her legs around Quinn's waist. He drives into her. She can no longer stifle her cries. Using her legs she pulls him closer and deeper. Together they begin to thrust towards each other wildly, Carrie pushing herself down on him while Quinn buries himself deeper and deeper into her each time. They both cry out as they climax and waves of release wash over them.


	7. Something new

Quinn rests his forehead against Carrie's and tries to catch his breath. As their heart rates slow, they look into each other's eyes. Carrie is the first to smile. Quinn smiles back at her with joy, relief, and love radiating from his eyes, and bends to kiss her bare shoulder.

Quinn slowly lowers her down on the table, still inside her, trying not to crush her with this weight. He smooths her hair away from her face and his eyes scan her for a sign of discomfort or fear, and sees her eyes are filling with tears. She reaches up with both her hands and combs Quinn's hair with her fingers, her thumb grazes his lips and cheek bone.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asks with concern. The idea he may have hurt her or caused her any pain makes him feel sick.

"I'm sorry…" she says with some pain in her voice.

"Why?" he asks tenderly. "What on earth are you sorry for? This was wonderful!"

"It was. I just…I don't know how you've managed to put up with me, Peter. You've been so good to me, asked nothing of me, and I've been nothing but a total bitch to you. "

He rolls to the side of her and props himself up on one arm, and uses his other hand to gently wipe the tear starting to roll down her cheek.

"No," he says in a soothing tone, "you've had rough year."

Carrie bites her lower lip to try to keep herself from crying more, her chin quivering.

"And besides, you weren't a _total_ bitch." Quinn smiles at her and she gives his shoulder a hard shove.

"Hold on…" Peter slides from the table and reaches for her hand to help her off. Now both standing, they look around for something to help clean them off a bit and Carrie reaches for the box of tissues on her desk. Quinn pulls on his boxers and pants and begins to buckle his belt. Carrie, now feeling more modest, turns her back to Quinn and steps into her panties and slips on her bra. He steps up behind her and with one hand on her hip, he uses his other hand to sweep her hair from her shoulder and gently plants a kiss on it. He then moves up her neck, landing finally at her ear. She pauses and enjoys his touch, then turns to face him.

"This is complicated, isn't it?" she asks, though it's more a statement than a question.

Quinn pulls Carrie to him by her waist. "Maybe…" He kisses her mouth tenderly. "Maybe not."

"I need you to be patient with me, Peter. More than you've already been."

Quinn knows he cannot expect Carrie to suddenly turn her world around and commit to him, but he still wishes it were possible.

"I know. And I can be. I will wait for you, Carrie."


End file.
